A WOMAN tried to drown a young boy by holding his head under the water as she scattered her father's ashes in the sea, a court has heard.

A woman allegedly tried to drown a boy because she thought he was possessed by a demon

Claire Winslade believed the child was possessed and that by killing him, he would be cured then return to life along with her father, it was alleged.

Joggers and a dog walker spotted the woman hunched over the youngster as she held him face down in the freezing seawater, Winchester Crown Court heard.

The passersby intervened to rescue the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on Southbourne beach, Bournemouth, Dorset, on January 9 this year.

Rob Welling, prosecuting, told the court that Winslade, 32, from Bournemouth, believed the boy had a "demon" inside him and that his death would cure him and bring both him and her father back to life.

He said that Winslade had a history of mental illness which deteriorated following the death of her father.

Mr Welling said: "She and the boy went to the Southbourne seafront.

She was so delusional that she genuinely believed she was saving the boy by her actions.

Rob Welling, prosecuting

"She had with her an urn that contained her father's ashes. He died in November 2014.

"At the beach she walked the boy into the sea up to knee or waist level then she held his head under the water.

"Had it not been for three passing joggers and a dog walker, the boy might have drowned that morning."

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Joggers and a dog walker spotted the woman holding the child's head under water, the court heard

Mr Welling said that Winslade later told doctors she tried to drown the boy "because she believed he had a demon in him, by doing so he would be returned alive with her father".

He added: "She was so delusional that she genuinely believed she was saving the boy by her actions."

Mr Welling said that the joggers believed at first that Winslade was washing a dog under the water.

According to one witness, after being rescued, the boy asked Winslade: "Why did you push me over?"

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Winslade told doctors that she hoped bring her father back to life and cure the boy, the court heard

Mr Welling said that Winslade did not deny her actions.

He explained to the jury that she had been assessed as suffering from a psychiatric condition and an option open to them was to find her not guilty of the offence of attempted murder by reason of insanity.

Winslade from Bournemouth, denies a charge of attempted murder.

The trial continues.

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